Why the Power of a Woman Is Truly More Than You Know
In a world that expects us to bear pain in silence, we manage to thrive.
You might have heard people joke around, or sing the song, that “females are strong as hell”. But the truth is that it’s actually no joke. Or, perhaps it shouldn’t be.
In a world that often still treats women as if we’re worth less than men, we still manage to thrive. Women have greater resilience — in dealing with stressors, in our relationships, and in the way we think about the future.
And across the globe, we tend to live longer, too.
We’re labeled the weaker sex — even though we bleed each month and go on living, we go through hormonal changes throughout our lives and adapt, and we can grow another human and have our bodies literally shift to help it come out into the world.
They taunt, “stop being a girl”, when really girls are the ones who grow the strongest. And yet the world still believes that girls are soft, and boys are strong.
Boys are expected to get dirty and get hurt, girls are taught we need to “compose ourselves”. We’re told that we’re too much and not enough, sometimes in the same sentence.
We can have ambition, but not too much. We should be confident but not cocky.
Stand up for yourself, but don’t be a bitch — because aggressive isn’t pretty.
Be strong enough to avoid being a pansy, but still need saving to appear feminine.
We can be successful and powerful, but not too powerful, because otherwise no one will want to be with us. Don’t threaten his masculinity by making more money than he does.
We can be independent and have our own career, but are expected to give it up to stay home with the kids and be a “good mother”. And if we choose to go back to work, we’re questioned and criticized for not caring about our kids enough.
And if you don’t want children, you’ll change your mind. No really, you will. Because it can’t be natural to not want kids, right?
We’re judged by appearances every day of our lives; not too skinny, and not too fat. Never the same outfit, no body hair showing.
We judge ourselves and judge one another — because even if we’re told we’re pretty, it’s never enough. Beauty standards are often impossible, and yet so many of us make ourselves sick to keep up.
We are told to be sexy but not slutty, coy but not a prude, and if anything happens to us we’re blamed for making him want it too much.
Women are told to control how we look, everything we say, and everything we do, because men have urges that “can’t” be controlled.
We are objectified, openly, shamelessly.
We’re expected to bear pain and hormonal changes in silence. We’re taught to be ashamed to even have a menstrual cycle, let alone allow anyone to know what’s happening with our bodies.
And we’re expected to age with grace — but never reveal how old we really are. As if a woman getting older is something to be ashamed of.
And yet, here we are. Strong as ever, empowered, and determined not to back down.
We face physical, mental, and emotional pain (misogyny, periods, menopause, rape, sexism, slut-shaming, victim-blaming, childbirth, mom guilt) all our lives, and come out the other side.
Beginning from when we are little, we begin to develop the resilience we’ll need to survive and thrive in the world.
Because being a woman is a challenge in and of itself.
Yes, boys and girls are different. And they grow into men and women who are also, typically, different. But we are not worth less.
A woman’s power comes from within, when she finally realizes her strength and resilience and passion and voice. It’s in you, that power. Find it. Believe in it. Then, embrace it.
Soft-spoken or opinionated, career-driven or motherly, curvy and feminine or athletic and muscular, or a little bit of everything — you were the strong one all along.
That’s why we’re going to keep having the hard conversations, following our own paths, standing up for one another, and demanding respect. Because we deserve it. We earned it.
Trust in that power. Because there’s really nothing like it.
© Samantha Blake 2021
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